Implement Mahajan Comm report: Yediyurappa

Hubli, Nov 18: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa today urged the Centre to implement the Mahajan Commission report on the border row between Karnataka and Maharashtra immediately.

Laying the foundation stone for a Rs six crore Mini Vidhana Soudha here, he said the Centre had clarified its stand on the border row to Maharashtra through the Supreme Court and there should not be any further delay in implementing the Mahajan Commission report so that the leaders of Maharashtra stop indulging in vote bank politics in the name of the border row.

He urged the Centre not to delay in according classical language status to Kannada.

Mr Yediyurappa expressed dissatisfaction over the Congress leaders not attending the function and said when he was in the Opposition, he never abstained from developmental activities. ''I do not understand what has happened to these Congressmen. Don't they want any development works. They were supposed the participate in Government functions and give valuable suggestions,'' he remarked.

He said the coalition Government in the State had successfully plugged leakage of funds from the State exchequer and was saving Rs 300 crore to Rs 350 crore per month. This was the reason the Government could spend Rs 2,000 crore on developmental works outside the budget.

Mr Yediyurappa said the Government would build 23 Mini Vidhana Soudhas in the State, besides 135 Morarji residential schools this year.

Referring to the ongoing three-day Dharwad district utsav and demand for Government help to hold it every year, he said every district should hold such cultural festivities and the Government would definitely consider financially assisting on the lines of Hampi Utsav and Kittur Utsav.

UNI